Rope-clamp.



PATBNTED JULY 18, 1905.

J. MOKENNEY. ROPE CLAMP. APPLIOATION FILED APR. 4, i905.

' IN VE N T01? J57: n 977 LEE/Lac] UNITED STATES Patented July 18, 1905.

JOHN lVlCKENNEY, OF DANBURY, CONNECTlCUT.

ROPE-CLAW! P.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 794,732, dated July 18, 1905.

Application filed April 4, 1905. Serial No. 253.881.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN MCKENNEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Danbury, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rope-Clamps and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to rope-clamps; and it consists of certain parts and combination of parts, such as will be hereinafter fully explained, and particularly pointed out by the concluding claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view in perspective illustrating my improvement as applied in position for use; Fig. 2, a plan view; Fig. 3, an end view; Fig. 4, a vertical section taken longitudinally through the clamping-jaws and lock-bolt, and Fig. 5 a detail sectional elevation of the inner face of one of the jaws with the handles broken away.

Similar numbers of reference denote like parts in the several figures of the drawings.

My improvement may be utilized as a rope-clamp in many ways; but for purposes of a clear understanding of my inventlon l have illustrated the same as applied to a construction suitable for a fire-escape.

Referring to the drawings, 1 is any suitable rope or cable, the upper extremity of which is to be secured to any suitable object or fixture within a room or upon a building.

2 3 are elongated jaws each of which has a groove extending lengthwise of its inner face, as shown at Fig. 5 in the instance of the jaw 3, where the groove is denoted by the numeral 4:. Extending laterally and in opposite directions from the middle ortion of the jaw2 are handles 5 6, and simi arly extending from the jaw 3 are handles 7 8, the corresponding handles of said jaws being close together and substantially parallel.

9 is a pivot screw or pin which extends through the inner portions of the handles 5 7, whereby the manipulation of said handles will cause the jaws to open and close. When the handles 5 7 are squeezed together, the jaws will relax or open, and when the handles 6 8 are squeezed together said jaws will be closed in clamping position.

10 is a latch pivoted to one of the handles 8 and adapted to engage a shoulder 11 to lock the aws in clamped position, if desired.

12 is a lock-bolt having a shouldered portion 13 and provided with a crank extension 14, which bolt is threaded and passes through the aws from side to side. By turning this bolt until the shoulder bears firmly against the adjacent jaw both jaws will be closed and held in this position, and by relaxing said bolt said jaws will be opened.

The operation of my improvement is as follows: Any suitable sling or stirrup is sus pended from my improvement, and in the present instance I have shown a sling having abottom rest 15, suspended from ropes 16, which latter are provided at their upper ends with hooks 17, that are engaged with eyes 18 19 in the handles 5 and 8, respectively. The jaws are first placed around the rope 1, and either the latch 10 or lock-bolt 12 are operated to hold the jaws firmly clamped against said rope. A person now gets into the sling, firmly grasps the handles 6 8,,squeezing them together, and then throws off the latch or relaxes the lock-bolt, as the case may be. By slightly relaxing the squeezing action against the handles 6 8 the aws will slide down the rope 1 and the occupant of the sling can thus descend. The de ree to which this squeezing action is relaxed etermines the speed of descent, and such speed can be instantly checked and the aws locked in clamped position, if desired.

I prefer to utilize the latch 1.0 in connection with my improvement when used as a fire-escape; but when my invention is adapted for use for lowering painters scaffolds and the like the lock-bolt will be found the most convenient and serviceable for this purpose.

While I have shown my improvement as applied for use as a fire-escape, nevertheless my invention is essentially a rope-clamp and can therefore be used as suggested for various purposes, and I therefore do not wish to be limited in this respect.

I claim 1. In a rope-clamp, the combination of the elongated jaws grooved in their inner faces throu hout their lengths, handles extending latera ly in opposite directions and in parallelism from each of said jaws, a pivot connecting two of these parallel handles whereby the jaws may be opened and closed by manipulating the handles on both sides of said jaws, and means carried by said jaws for looking the latter in clamped position.

2. In a rope-clamp, the combination of the two elongated jaws grooved in their inner faces throughout their lengths, each jaw having two diametrically opposite handles eX- tendin therefrom in a plane at right angles to the length of the jaws, the handles of one jaw being close to and parallel with the corresponding handles of the other jaw, a pivot connecting the two handles at one side of said j awswhereby the latter may be opened and closed, a sling suspended from said jaws, and a shouldered lock-bolt driven through said aws whereby the latter may be held in clamped position.

3. In a rope-clamp, the combination of the elongated jaws grooved in their inner faces throughout their lengths, each. jaw having two diametrically opposite handles extending therefrom in a plane at right angles to the length of the jaws, the handles of one jaw being close to and parallel with the corresponding handles of the other jaw, a pivot connecting the two handles at one side of said aws whereby the latter may be opened and closed by manipulation of the several handles, the inner portions of two diametrically opposite handles extending from separate jaws having eyes therethrough, a sling suspended from said eyes, and means carried by said jaws for locking the latter in clamped position.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN MoKEN N EY.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM H. CABLE, HENRY M. ROBINSON. 

